


The Lion Warrior

by Strawberrymilkshakeaddict



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Inspired by The Originals (TV), Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:42:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawberrymilkshakeaddict/pseuds/Strawberrymilkshakeaddict
Summary: .Turns out Finn Mikaelson was blessed with a daughter just before he died. Fast forward sixteen years later the rest of the Mikaelsons find out about her.She's been living a pretty normal life, having absolutely no idea about the fact that she is related to the strongest and most ruthless family.What happens when they find out that she is nothing like them?
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett/Kol Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, Elijah Mikaelson & Katherine Pierce, Rebekah Mikaelson/Stefan Salvatore
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

Aliza never was a fan of supernatural creatures, hell she thought they were all stupid and brood too much. The one time she decided to read a book about them, was the last time of all.

She couldn't understand why on earth would Bella choose to be with a guy who was literally a thousand years older than her or why on earth would Edward go back to high school despite the fact that his family had an impressive bank balance.

'I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him…'

She snorted

Hence the situation where she laughed like a maniac on crack when her parents said something that was beyond unreal in her opinion.

"So you're telling me," She exhaled through her mouth, clutching her sides as she continued, "That you guys are ancient witches? And uncle Vincent is your leader?"

They both nodded.

And the laughing began.

Again.

Aliza covered her face with her hands, taking deep breaths. Laughing so much had deprived her of oxygen. She wiped her eyes and blinked a few times to clear her vision.

"Yeah and unicorns are real and pigs can fly." 

Mithila and Rome exchanged glances, they weren't expecting their daughter to react like this. As if this all were nothing but a big, weird joke.

But what were they expecting anyways.

Rome sighed, he knew the only way to make Aliza believe that he was a witch would be to show her. And they already had a good hour long debate about this. 

They watched as Aliza walked towards the kitchen, silently mumbling as she shook her head. She poured herself a glass of water and leaned against the counter. She gulped the entire thing down in one go.

Mithila got up from the couch and turned to look at Aliza. She eyed the glass that was clutched in her hands.

A single blink and the glass was suspended in the air, floating like gas around the room. Mithila watched as Aliza's eyes grew wider and her mouth hung open.

This was followed by Aliza's five stages of acceptance.

Shock

Denial

Depression

Sarcasm

And acceptance itself.

She was somewhere between the third and fourth state.

Probably the reason why she had locked herself in her room and only came out when her parents bribed her with the promise of one litre of strawberry milkshake.

They sat down again, to properly discuss things out. Whatever that's supposed to mean for Aliza. Sure they had the weirdest family debates but this was something out of the world for her.

They sat in the dining room waiting for the arrival of uncle Vincent, her parents' old friend that surprisingly had really good skin for a fifty five years old.

Growing up uncle Vincent was the only person, outside of her mom and dad, that could be called family. He taught her values and morals that helped shape her opinion. But there was always something dark about him.

Not just his skin but the way he held himself. She couldn't quite put a finger on it. But he had this grace and elegance about him. Maybe it was the way he moved his fingers as if he were playing an imaginary instrument or it was the way he walked as if he owned the damn house or maybe it was the way he talked, as if he was a king that had walked this earth for centuries and the rest were just mere villagers in front of him.

Or it was all of the above.

Either way his advice had a special place in her heart. 

As the minutes went by the tension in the room increased. It became harder for Aliza to not ask her parents the million questions that were racing in her mind. This was something she never saw coming. At all.

Tick tock tick tock

With every second a new question rose in her head. The entire time her eyes were fixed on the wooden table. The realisation of why everything in her house was vintage styled and antique connected with her parents being witches.

Huh

Pretty much that explained their beliefs in gemstones.

When Uncle Vincent arrived, he wasn't wearing his usual casual clothes. Instead he wore a huge black robe that made him look deadly. Though she wasn't sure why that was necessary. Either the robe had something to do with his powers or he was just being dramatic. That with his extra necklaces and rings just added to the effect.

But what was even more was that he didn't come alone.

A blond woman followed him. Her eyes were fixed on Aliza the moment she entered the room. An emotion was being held in her eyes as if she finally found something she had been looking for. Or it was just the way her eyes were.

Vincent exchanged looks with Rome and Mithila. His gaze went back and forth between Aliza and the blonde woman who was now creeping her out.

He cleared his throat as he spoke, "This is my friend Freya." 

"I didn't know you had friends." Aliza commented.

He narrowed his eyes at her. To which she simply shrugged. It was true on her behalf. He mostly spent his time with her family and rarely talked about his social life. She couldn't be blamed for assuming that.

Vincent chose to ignore her and continued with his introduction, "Freya, this is Aliza."

"But you can call me Ali." She offered. 

Freya nodded her head and approached Aliza. She still couldn't believe that she was finally meeting the child. When she found out about her, no matter how bad she wanted this to be true, she still felt the need to confirm about her before she revealed the information to the rest of the family.

But when she came face to face with the girl. She knew it was true. The features were too similar to not be true. That kind smile made her heart ache, she didn't realise how much she missed that smile.  
And how long it had been since she last saw it.

Centuries, she remembered, it had been centuries.

"Hello," She extended her for a greeting. The moment Aliza's hand touched hers she felt a warmth within herself that made her smile.

After a series of formal introductions, everyone sat down. Vincent took a seat at the head of the table, though it was still unclear for Aliza how he managed to look comfortable in that robe considering the extra fabric and the temperature of the room. 

"Did you tell her about us?" Vincent asked, the question directed towards her parents.

They both gave him a single nod to which he turned his eyes towards Aliza. He shifted in his chair, this discussion was more on the awkward side instead of the serious one. 

"I'm assuming you have some questions." 

She did, she had so many of them. But the only one she could ask at the exact moment was, "What am I?"

And with that the room went quiet with everyone exchanging glances. And she felt suspicious. For Aliza they were the least subtle people she'd ever known. The side glances, raised eyebrows and an unspoken truth was dancing in the air amongst them.

Freya was the one to speak first, "We need to find that out." She gave her a hesitant smile that made her even more suspicious.

"Am I not a witch?" It would be a fairly obvious thing if she were a witch. The dreadful chronicles of Bella and Edward wasn't the only thing she had read. 

Come on.

Vincent replied, "You are much more than that Ali. You have a gift. And it's time you know what that is."

The only thing she could do was nod her head. She was slightly disappointed that she didn't have the power to control things with her mind.

Pity, she could've scared the crap out of her friend.

Maybe show off a bit.

Rome spoke after a while, "Freya will be staying here for a few days." He felt tensed as if another word from his mouth and the entire thing will be revealed.

Mithila sensed her husband's anxiousness. She placed her hand on his and gave a squeeze. She said, "Ali, why don't you show her to the guest room."

Aliza took a moment to inspect them. Something was definitely wrong. She could sense it, feel it. If they all were trying to be subtle, they were failing miserably at it. The sweat on her dad's forehead, the tight smile on her mother's lips, the awkward posture of Vincent and the anticipation in Freya's eyes. It was all laid out.

They were hiding something.

And by the looks of it, this something was very important.

So instead of bluntly asking about it, she smiled and got up from her seat. Telling Freya to follow her. She kept glancing over her shoulder to be sure that Freya was following her.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Vincent saying something about Freya's bags. As they climbed up she watched Vincent walking out of the house. She didn't miss the silent communication they had through their eyes.

Once they reached the guest room, Aliza held the door open for Freya, she looked at her for a second before entering the room. Throughout the entire time Aliza observed that Freya's attention was solely focused on her. The side glances and hesitant smiles she gave made her realise about the cautious way she was acting around her. She felt awkward, she had absolutely no idea why this woman was being this way. 

If it wasn't for her creepy glances, Aliza would've just assumed that she was self conscious. But that made no sense whatsoever.

"We usually don't have guests. In fact you're the first." She said, causally shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension between them. She hated it, it was surprising that she managed to keep a smile on her face.

Freya stared at her, a little too long, and instead of saying something, she inspected the room. 

Bloody hell, this woman was creeping her out. She wasn't even a slightest bit easy to read. For someone who was a stranger, the longing gazes were making her look like a psycho. 

"How old are you?"

Aliza was caught off guard by that sudden question and even more with the way Freya was looking at her.

"I'm 16." She replied.

That slow smile that she gave her, did wonders in igniting her imagination. And she found herself questioning.

Is this woman possessed?

The idea wasn't at all pleasing to her. She wasn't very keen on sticking around. She said, "If you need anything, my room is at the end of the hallway." 

"Thank you." 

She mumbled a welcome and turned around to walk away. She could bet Freya's eyes were on her.

Now she had two things to figure out.

Number 1  
What the hell is happening?

Number 2  
What the hell was that robe for?


	2. Chapter 2

The first day of Freya's stay was a little better. Aliza noticed the change in her behaviour. She seemed more composed and calm than she did when they had first met. And it did make things a little easier between them.

Conversations between them were somewhat stiff and awkward. But as time went by Aliza found her presence comfortable. And it became a lot easier to talk to Freya. The most surprising thing was that she enjoyed talking to Freya. The woman was calm and collected, and for someone who was an ancient witch, seemed fairly modest in her part.

Since Aliza had her summer holidays and plenty of time in her hands. It was nice having Freya around. Usually her summers were spent in her own company. It was nice not being home alone. Being the only child and with her mother, a psychiatrist, and her father, a pediatrician, she was often left alone.

There was only so much company Vincent could keep her. And she didn't have much close friends she could hang out with, given that her parents were busy. A lot. 

Freya wasn't certainly a picnic. Her unending questions were kind of annoying. It seemed as if she wanted to know everything, from her favourite colour to her favorite subject to her favorite food. It was a bit weird, if she was being honest. Freya also shared about her family. 

As far as she knew from her. They lived in New Orleans, and she had been living with them for two years. She found the Mikaelson family quite amusing. Because of bickering tales that Freya had narrated.

For a bunch of powerful vampires, they sure fought like immature teenagers.

"I'll see you next month." Freya said, as she approached her. She smiled back and stretched her arms. Freya hugged her, squeezing her slightly. 

She watched as Freya climbed in the cab, after once again waving at her. She waved back, feeling a little sad about her departure. 

After Freya was gone Vincent stayed for a few hours before going back to his house. Aliza felt a little nervous at the thought of living in New Orleans for a while.

Honestly, she thought Vincent was joking when he said she was something superior than the rest of them.

But he was serious.

And she was screwed.

_________________

The ringtone of Freya's phone echoed in the cab. She dug her purse and answered the call, knowing well enough from whom it was.

"Did you meet her?" Elijah asked, skipping straight to the point. He had been on edge the entire time, he was eager to meet the girl himself but because of his fear he chose to wait.

A slow smile spread on Freya's face at the thought of her. She said, "Yes, I did."

"How is she?" Elijah asked quietly.

She sighed and replied, "She's lovely, Elijah. She's smart, funny, so full of life. She's…. perfect."

Elijah took a sharp breath and said, "I see."

"Finn would've been proud of how she's grown up."

"I still don't think this is a good idea." He remarked. The guilt that he felt was so burdening, he had no idea how he would handle himself once he would meet the girl face to face. 

Freya sighed and said, "She's family." 

That simple statement was enough for him to not push this topic any further. He felt so torn apart and had no idea how to feel about all this. Though he was more than happy to welcome his niece but he also felt remorseful about what he did to Finn.

Elijah could only imagine the interaction between them.  
_______________________

Saying that the Mikaelson family history was complicated would be an understatement because it was freaking messed up. 

After Freya had taken her leave, Mithila explained the whole story

Turns out there was much more to the story than she could ever imagine. Freya's family was referred to as the 'Originals'. 

A bit cliche, but who was she to judge.

The Originals were the ones from whom the legacy of vampires had begun. The family had been turned by their mother, who was also a witch, by the blood of a doppleganger named Tatia. But it was the third son that caught most of her attention.

Niklaus Mikaelson.

Aliza was informed that he was a hybrid. Half werewolf, half vampire and a full nut job (Rome's words, not hers). He was the king of New Orleans and had control over everything that happened in the city. He was a man hungry for power and control, someone not to be messed with.

Niklaus' older brother Elijah sounded a tad bit okay. He was referred to as the 'good' brother and only the almighty knew their definition of good. Despite being the elder one, his duties were sworn to Niklaus. The only possible explanation to this arrangement would be the fact that Niklaus was the most strongest creature alive and the most stupid (Again Rome's words not hers).

Then there was the fourth son, Kol Mikaelson, the one way to describe him was that he was an immature brat who thought very highly of himself. And knowing the fact that he was a thousand years old, it made Aliza feel pretty smart. 

And the fifth was Rebekah Mikaelson, she was referred to as a high maintenance serial killer Barbie. And to Aliza's surprise, the Barbie had the same weird fetish of high school and proms.

Seriously what is up with vampires and highschools. That was the mystery Aliza could never figure out. 

Honestly in her opinion, the 'Originals' sounded like a hideous joke with a tragic past. The contradiction between Freya's point of view of her family and her parents' left her confused.

If her parents wanted her to be scared. They sure as hell did a very good job at it because she was down right terrified at the idea of living in the same house as them. That too for a really long time.

But Rome gave her his words, he said that no matter what she would never be hurt by them. That was pretty reassuring but Aliza couldn't see any proper reason for them to not hurt her

This whole situation felt so unrealistic to her. Vampires, witches and werewolves, just a week ago she had no idea they existed. And now she was supposed to interact with them.

The only good thing about New Orleans was that her friend was living there and that she would be meeting her face to face after three years.

The whole point of her living with the Originals was that they would be teaching her how to possess and control her powers. She still didn't know what creature she was. 

She couldn't even make any guesses, there was no way she could be a vampire, because one, she was a vegetarian and two, she had low tolerance when it came to blood.

She wasn't a werewolf, because the full moon never bothered her and she was a cat person.

Being a witch was out of option because Vincent made that very clear. 

And her four hours internet research did her no good.

She had nothing out of the ordinary about herself. No speed, no super strength, no mind control, nothing. And she had never felt odd or different in her life. She had no problem in making friends or doing normal stuff. She had no problems with the sun or any other things that could possibly distinguish her from a human. She had no heightened senses nor she could talk to animals. 

All Mithila said was that she was blessed by some sort of divine power and they needed to figure out what powers she truly has. On further pushing the subject the best response that she got from her parents was that they wished for her to be something different and their prayers were answered.

She possibly couldn't get any sleep after that, her mind was jumbled. Questions after questions rose in her mind. Her stay with the Mikaelsons was what made her even more nervous. She had no clue what to expect, and no amount of words could sooth her impatient and aggravated mind.

And the fact that she would be alone without her parents just added to the burden. And that too for months on the end. Vincent was accompanying her, that was another good thing. She would be home schooled there so that wasn't a problem either.

But something didn't sit right. So many questions were unanswered and her curiosity was driving her to insanity. They were not telling her all the facts and she hated that but she also knew that they won't be telling her any time soon.

So all she could hope was that she turns out to be a human and be back with her life.


	3. Chapter 3

"They have a private jet?!" Aliza exclaimed and took a look at Vincent, who sat beside her, and back at the small white jet that had the name Mikaelson written all over it. She huffed, "Of course they have a private jet."

Though she couldn't understand if this was a friendly gesture or if the Mikaelsons were showing off. 

She had seen private jets but only in movies and tv shows. If someone had told her that she would be experiencing such a situation a few months ago she would have laughed in their faces. 

But here she was.

Despite having an entire month to process everything that was happening, Aliza still felt unprepared. Her nerves were killing her, she felt her life was moving a lot faster and she could not keep up. 

This all seemed like a dream and she only wished to wake up in her room and realise that her parents and Vincent were just normal people with whom she shared her normal life with.

But at that very moment, the strange reality started to really sink in and she found herself to be a lot scared than she was before. And this was her life now, though this was not something she was particularly excited to take part in it, but no point in whining because this was her reality. 

This was becoming a part of her life, a part of her. She had no idea how long would it take for her to wholly accept this part because the majority of her mind was in denial and the small part was filled with curiosity and doubts. 

She still felt like something was missing, that they were not telling her the whole truth. And that only made her feel uncomfortable.

Living in New Orleans was one big change. She'd spent hours on the internet searching all the facts that she could find. The crime rate was one of the highest in America and that did not make her feel better. 

The French Quarter was a lively place, a historic heart of the city with brilliant nightlife and amazing bars. It fascinated her, especially after hearing it from Azune. She had told Aliza how New Orleans felt like another world, a place where people would just forget everything and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Though she still hasn't told Azune about what was happening. She figured out she'll just surprise her.

Aliza was more interested in the architecture of New Orleans, it had an amazing combination of Victorian architecture with a modern twist. She always had a thing for old buildings and Victorian style.

Maybe living there wouldn't be so bad.

______________

"She'll be here in an hour." Freya announced. She had been particularly excited throughout the month. Klaus had noticed the change in Freya's mood. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, but, he was pleased that his elder sister seemed a lot more happy.

Elijah was a bit agitated and a lot nervous than he would show. His face was the epitome of calm and collected but only he knew the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside him. Klaus noticed his odd behaviour but chose not to comment. He knew Elijah very well, he also knew the horrible habit his brother had which was holding on to guilt.

Rebekah seemed as if she didn't care. Finn wasn't her favourite brother in the slightest so the girl was not much of an important person for her. As long as the girl kept her distance, she could tolerate her. 

Kol wasn't excited to meet the daughter of the very brother he loathed the most. In fact, in his opinion, he couldn't care less about a sixteen year old teenager who by some miracle happened to be his niece. But he couldn't voice his dislike on her arrival because of the purpose she had to serve and for the sake of Freya.

Niklaus was desperate to know what she was. He was surprised to know that she was not one of them. It came as a shock when they found out that she was something unique. Though what, they had no idea.

He found out about the girl by Vincent, at first he didn't believe a single word. No one did. It was when Freya confirmed that she indeed was a part of their family. 

Klaus and Finn's relationship was bitter. Finn never could accept himself, he resented who he was and what he had become. Klaus was so sick of listening to his brother shame him for his abilities. And even after 900 hundred years of being daggered, Finn didn't change his mind. 

Klaus didn't know much about Sage despite her love for Finn and that she was nothing but a low life. She indeed loved his brother dearly. But alas that love had to die because of Finn's betrayal.

He never approved of their relationship. He never considered Sage to be a worthy match. Klaus thought his elder brother was foolish to turn her.

He could only hope that Finn's daughter wouldn't be like him.

Weak.

Elijah had spoken to Mithila and Rome, he gave them his words that no harm would come to the child. He couldn't help but admire the fierce bond they both shared with the girl.

Despite her not being their real daughter, they still cared and loved her immensely. Elijah was relieved to know that the girl's upbringing was more than well. And he respected Rome and Mithila for it.

Klaus was, least to say, somewhat impressed by the girl's background. She was a smart student who had won many awards and prizes. 

There was nothing out of the ordinary about her life. She had a small group of friends, not much of a social life. She was fluent in Hindi, Marathi, Spanish and English, given that Mithila was from India and Rome was from Spain. Her favourite subjects were Biology, Maths, English Literature and Political Science.

Klaus had read her essays and could tell that the girl was a raging feminist. 

But the funny thing was that she was a vegetarian and a cat person.

Klaus choked on his Bourbon when he read that.

But the most fascinating thing for all of them was how protective Vincent was of the girl. So much, that he was willing to accompany her on her stay here. Back to the very place he left years ago to start a new life. And now he was coming back just for that girl.

_________________________

The flight was exhausting and that was the part she hated the most when it came to internationally traveling. Aliza spent the majority of her time sleeping and watching movies.

Though the luxury of the jet did make the flight a little less boring. She felt slightly uncomfortable and a lot awkward because of the over polite behaviour of the airhostess and the pilots.

But eventually after a few hours, the airhostess, Brenda, and she had a nice chat. Brenda told Aliza about the things she could do during her stay in New Orleans. 

Aliza became overly enthusiastic when she found out about all the museums situated in the French Quarter. She didn't have much knowledge when it came to jazz but was eager to attend the free live concerts Brenda told her about.

When they landed, there was a Jaguar XJ parked at a distance with a man leaning against it. He definitely didn't look like a driver with the casual way he was dressed. If the phrase "Tall, dark and handsome" was a person, this man would be it.

Except he wasn't tall.

He was freaking huge.

Was he a vampire, a werewolf or a witch?

She watched as Vincent and the man shook hands.

Marcel flashed a toothy smile that showcased his pearl white teeth and said, "My man, it's been so long."

Vincent only smiled in reply and let go of his hand. He turned towards a clueless Aliza and said, "This is Marcel." He then turned back him and said, "Marcel, this is-"

"The one and only Aliza." Marcel finished.

Aliza was a little taken aback by the tone of his voice, as if she were some sort of a famous personality.

She waved her hand and said, "Hello."

Marcel's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he recovered soon and said, "So ready to go?"

.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sit down properly," Vincent commanded. Aliza paid him no attention. Her eyes were taking in the amazing view of New Orleans. 

The photographs were nothing compared to the actual place. It was so beautiful and lively, and so different from Nashik, where she lived.

She had been to America a couple of times with her family for vacations. The thing that was most amusing about America was how different each city was from one another. It was like stepping into a whole new world.

And New Orleans felt like an entirely new era. The polished buildings were a sight for the sore eyes.

At least to her.

Marcel laughed at the excitement of Aliza. He was surprised to see how she was. It amused him to no bounds just how different she was compared to the rest of the Mikaelsons.

It was definitely going to be fun, watching them interact.

He said, "Most festivals are over, but there is still a lot to do here. I can give you a tour."

That piqued her interest and she leaned forward from the back seat and said, "Really?"

"Why not?"

"Aliza.," Vincent warned.

"Okay fine," Aliza sat back and crossed her hands, "You're such a buzzkill, Uncle Vin."

Marcel raised his eyebrows and gave Vincent a look. To which he shrugged as a reply.

The ride from Louis Armstrong Airport to the French Quarter was only thirty minutes long, given that the traffic was moderate. The weather was warm but pleasant. Warm enough to not wear a jacket.

Aliza had been careful with her appearance. She didn't want to make a bad first impression, given that they were going to see a lot of each other. She still could feel her heart pounding. She wished the rest of the siblings would be like Freya so that things wouldn't be as difficult as the possibilities were.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the house, not a house but a mansion. A huge one, that too. The white pillars, behind which the mansion stood with French windows. The mansion was surrounded by trees, but not a single leaf could be seen on the driveway. 

A bunch of men stood in front of the mansion, wearing all black. They looked unarmed but then she thought they must be vampires or something. 

So what's the point if they can rip people's heads off with their hands.

"Holy hot chocolate fudge….." She trailed off.

Both Vincent and Marcel laughed at her awestruck expression. 

But one thing was unsettling.

The house looked like the one in Conjuring.

And now she was terrified.

Even more.

Marcel stopped the car and said, "You guys go in. I'll follow back later."

Few men came forward to open the doors for her and Vincent.

"Thank you." She smiled as she climbed out, the man who opened the door for her gave her a strange look before nodding. She found it rather odd because generally her politeness would be returned with a smile too.

Do vampires even smile?

She sure hoped they did, because that would be rather disturbing.

"What about our bags?" She inquired.

Vincent informed her that the bags were delivered to their rooms only a few minutes ago. She wanted to ask how but chose not to say anything.

Vincent said, "Let's go." He started walking towards the entrance but stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"What if they don't like me?"

"Since when did you start caring about what others think?"

She let out a huffing laugh and said, "I'm sorry. Let me rephrase that. What if they don't like me and kill me?"

Vincent said, "You trust me?"

"Is that a question?"

He laughed that caused her to smile. He said, "Then let's go."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She felt a sense of safety within herself. She is sure as hell trusted Vincent. He was her family.

The door opened and she was immediately engulfed in a hug by Freya. Aliza was happy because she felt welcomed by her. Freya seemed to like her a lot, and that was reassuring because there were two people whom she could feel comfortable around.

Freya pulled away from her. Her eyebrows shot up and with a huge smile she asked, "How was the flight?"

"It was really awesome." 

Freya stepped back and then towards Vincent to give him a hug. She ushered them in the house saying that the rest of them were waiting inside.  
The atmosphere in the house was a lot warmer than the outside, and she was glad that she had her hair tied up.

When they walked further in the house, her eyes landed on a man that was staring directly at her. He was wearing a business suit, and god knows how he was pulling it off because of the weather. His hair was neatly styled to perfection and his posture was a little bit too stiff for a normal person.

His facial features were hard, but that didn't make him look any less handsome. He looked remarkably noble, if she didn't know any better then she would have mistaken him as a doctor or a lawyer.

Aliza wondered if the whole staring thing was hereditary because he too was creeping her out.

Freya glanced between them and placed a hand on Aliza's upper back. She said, "Ali, this is Elijah."

Aliza recognised the name and extended her hand. She smiled at him and said, "Nice to meet you."

She was a little confused to see his bewildered expression at her polite behaviour. It took a few moments for him to shake hands with her. She almost believed that he would continue staring at her.

Elijah cleared his throat and said, "Pleasure to meet you as well. I believe that your flight was alright." 

He spoke as if he owned the words, his voice high pitched and decorated with a heavy English accent.

He gave her a small smile as he withdrew his hand.

There was a vulnerability in his eyes that made her feel a bit weird. That smile was such a contrast to his entire posture. As if he was trying not to fall apart. 

For a man so dangerous, his eyes were remarkably soft.

She blinked a few times and said, "Yeah it was great."

Vincent and Freya were watching them with extreme scrutiny. Vincent wanted this to work so badly, he believed if anyone could get through this it would definitely be Aliza. He believed that if anyone could make them realise something it would be her.

Freya stepped in and gave Aliza a little push. She could sense Freya's anxiousness. She was so desperate for Aliza to like them. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one who was nervous about making a wrong first impression.

Her attention was turned to another man, who was watching her with utter curiosity. He wore a Henley, something that was very different from Elijah. He was tall enough with sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His posture was casual but not careless. He held a glass in one hand the same way as his posture.

Causal but not careless.

Freya said, "This is Niklaus."

Niklaus immediately gave her a warm and welcoming smile that almost made her frown because it was obviously not genuine. 

She held her hand out and said, "Hello."

He held her hand. He didn't say anything but just kept staring at her, as if he was trying to figure her out. He narrowed his eyes at her. The focused eye contact made her feel uncomfortable but she didn't look away. Something in his eyes was telling her not to.

Is this a staring competition?

His smile faded a little and he said, "Interesting…"

He let go off her hand, his smile was replaced by a smirk. And it somehow seemed like his thing. He wore the smirk with so much more ease than that warm smile he gave her.

While Elijah's voice was slightly thin, Niklaus' voice was melodious and thick.

"I'm delighted to finally meet you, Aliza."

The way he said her name gave her chills, but she smiled nonetheless. There was something awfully painful in his eyes, the intensity in them was hard for her to miss.

"This is my sister, Rebekah." 

It took her a few seconds to realise that he was gesturing towards his left. Her eyes followed his and she realised that someone was sitting on the couch.

Beautiful couldn't even describe the way the woman looked.

Deadly was so much more accurate.

Now she understood the nickname her dad told her.

Because Rebekah Mikaelson indeed looked like a serial killer Barbie.

Rebekah held herself with such authority and elegance. Her eyes were sharp but guarded. She scanned Aliza from head to toe. But instead of saying anything, she started to inspect her ring.

Okay…..

Niklaus cleared his throat and said, "Forgive me, sweetheart. Rebekah here severely lacks common courtesy."

Rebekah only glared at him as a response before focusing on her ring again.

"Hello, darling!"

Aliza screamed and jumped in fright when a man appeared out of thin air in front of her. She involuntarily grabbed Elijah's hand with her one hand and clutched his forearm with the other, her grip tight on both of them.

Freya yelled, "Kol!"

Kol laughed aloud at her terrified face. He said, "Come on, dear sister. I was welcoming our little devil here."

Little devil?

He stepped forward and Aliza's grip on Elijah only grew stronger. Elijah stepped between, shielding her from Kol. He felt a sudden urge to be protective of Aliza. 

Vincent too stood on the other side for her. He glared at Kol, his eyes telling him to back off.

Kol's eyebrows shot up and he gave Aliza an amused look. In a second he narrowed his eyes at her as if challenging her.

He spoke in a low voice that sent shivers down her spine. He said, "I suggest you should watch your back while you're here, darling. We, vampires, do love young blood."

Crack.

The sound of Kol's neck being snapped only contributed to her fear. She watched with wide eyes as he fell down, his body lying lifeless on the ground.

Niklaus stood in front of them, grinning widely. He said, "I apologise for my brother's rude behaviour, love. Kol has a habit of annoying people to the fullest."

Did he just?

"What did I miss?"

Everyone's eyes turned towards Marcel who walked in the house, grinning from ear to ear.

Niklaus glanced at Freya and back at Aliza before saying, "Now, sister. Please escort our guests to their respected rooms."

What the hell?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man it took a hell of a lot of time to think how everyone would react to meeting Aliza.


	5. Chapter 5

"The what?" Aliza scrunched her face and stared at Abby in disbelief. 

"The Lion Warrior," Abby repeated.

"That's impossible." This time it was Rebekah that spoke. If Aliza wasn't so confused she would have acknowledged how beautiful her voice was because it was the first time she had heard it.

"What's a Lion Warrior?" She asked looking at Vincent who too looked like he had seen a ghost.

"The Lion Warrior is the defender of the Supernatural world," Elijah said.

"Like the Dragon Warrior?"

Everyone looked at Aliza in confusion. 

She said, "You know, Po in Kung fu panda. Wait, you guys haven't watched Kung fu Panda?" Her mouth hung open.

"You're lying. There is no such thing as the Lion Warrior. It's all nonsense." Kol scoffed, he stood up and walked towards the bar where Rebekah was sitting. He took a sip of the scotch that Rebekah was drinking, wincing at the bitter taste.

"If you don't believe me. See for yourself."

"How?" Freya asked. 

Abby gave a sharp look before speaking, "One of the strengths of the Lion Warrior is it's resistance to black magic. Try it on her and see for yourself."

Freya hesitantly looked at Vincent who was staring at Abby the whole time.

He said, "Try it."

"But-"

Vincent gave a stern look to Freya and said, "Try to get in her head. Just don't hurt her."

Aliza was completely dumbfounded by the entire situation. She was relieved to not be a vampire or werewolf. 

So cheers to that.

But she also had no idea what the hell anyone was talking about. The only thing she could make out was that this whole Lion Warrior thing was something serious but unbelievable.

Freya nodded and said, "Never."

She looked at Aliza and gave a faint smile. Freya slowly stood up and gestured her to stand up too. She obeyed silently not knowing what else to do.

Freya held both of her hands, gripping them tightly. She closed her eyes, looking focused as she murmured something under her breath.

Aliza flinched when Freya screamed and held her head in between her hands. Vincent stood and pulled Aliza behind him while Niklaus rushed towards Freya.

She felt fear when she noticed the look on Niklaus' face and the venom in his voice.

He yelled, "What did you do?!"

"No-nothing. I-I didn't do anything."

Aliza held on to Vincent, the way Niklaus was looking at her made her feel so threatened, so scared. There was something so menacing in the way he was looking at her as if she was the most loathsome person at that moment.

"That's enough." Elijah put a hand on Niklaus' chest to stop him from walking towards. She hadn't noticed him standing in between them.

"I'm fine."

Her eyes turned to Freya who was now breathing heavily. Aliza felt a little happy to see that Freya was not hurt.

Niklaus clutched Freya's shoulders, and asked, "What happened?"

"Abby's right," Freya said through ragged breath,  
"Ali's mind is too powerful compared to my powers."

Abby's smile grew wider as everyone stared in awe at Aliza. She had no idea what to do or think about this. All she could feel was fear and unsettling anticipation.

Abby stood and walked towards Aliza, somehow the way she was smiling at her made her feel a little less scared.

Vincent put his arm around Aliza's shoulders, he gave her a slight push but she still held onto him.

Abby extended her hand and Aliza glanced at Vincent who gave her a nod. With a shaking hand, she held Abby's hand.

Abby placed her other hand over Aliza's. The warmth in them made her feel relieved.

She spoke with a calm tone, "Your blood, though is ordinary for mortals, holds a very special power for the supernatural creatures. Your blood is the purest, it can heal, destroy, give powers, protect if you wish to give it on your own accord. It works under your command only. But if someone takes it by force, it would only bring them death."

Aliza pressed her lips together not knowing what else to do. Everything just seemed too much for her to handle. Everything seemed too intense for her to process. Nothing made sense anymore for her, she was certainly feeling unsafe but then there was an uneasy pride that she felt upon finding out that she was a warrior.

The warrior.

The Lion Warrior.

Abby turned around to look at the rest of the Mikaelsons and said, "Teach her how to wield a sword."

It was Elijah who spoke in a stern voice, "Rebekah, take Aliza to her room."

"Why me?"

"Just do as I say."

Aliza looked at Vincent but he only patted her head affectionately while giving her a shoulder squeeze.

He said, "Go on."

She nodded and withdrew her hand. She silently followed Rebekah who led her up to her room.

"How's this possible?" Niklaus asked. He had heard the legend but it was nothing more than a story for him.

Abby smiled kindly at him and said, "She's a blessing, Mikaelson. She's your second chance. She will be the one to guide you through the dark. Protect her with your life."

When Abby left the room fell silent. No one knew what to say, they all were shocked.

For centuries the tales of the Lion Warrior were passed from generation to generation. Written in myths and folklore. No one knew where this came from, where did the warrior come from, where was the warrior, who was the warrior. As time passed, everyone began to lose their faith, and the stories were just words written in ancient books, buried somewhere. 

"You shouldn't have yelled at her, Nik," Freya said. She felt a lot better.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Niklaus asked.

Elijah spoke, "She's a child, Niklaus."

Niklaus only scoffed at him and said, "And why do you care so much about this child, brother? Perhaps you are forgetting who she is."

Vincent glared at Niklaus and said, "You need to keep your temper in check. You have no idea how easily she gets scared. Whether you like it or not she is a part of your family."

Rebekah strode in the room and said, "Freya's right Nik. You shouldn't have yelled at her."

Niklaus looked at Rebekah in disbelief.

Rebekah sighed, "She kept on apologizing, saying that she didn't mean to hurt Freya."

Niklaus opened his mouth to say something but couldn't. He suddenly felt a pang of guilty for lashing out on her. But he had his reasons and he didn't feel like justifying himself because either way, he was always the bad guy.

So without saying anything he stormed back to his room, not sparing anyone a single glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also posting this ff on Wattpad. Lol. 
> 
> https://my.w.tt/wihNxetaycb
> 
> As an apology, I'm posting three chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey there."

Aliza looked up to see Marcel entering the room. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and managed to give him a stiff smile. Even though she knew she didn't hurt Freya purposely, she couldn't help but feel guilty. It all happened so quick, one minute Freya was holding her hand and in the next, she was screaming.

"Hey." She cringed at her voice and cleared her throat.

Marcel gave her a soft smile and sat at the edge of the bed next to her.

He said, "You alright?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

He sighed, "Don't bother yourself with what Klaus said. He was just angry. It wasn't your fault."

She frowned and said, "He always does that?"

Marcel shrugged, "He is very protective when it comes to his family. But don't worry he won't hurt you."

She snorted, "Yeah I can see that."

So far she wasn't feeling safe in the slightest bit of way. Especially when she was around Kol and Niklaus. She was positive Rebekah was ignoring her existence, at least it was better than the glares she got from Kol.

Only God knew how scary Niklaus could be when he lost complete control.

Marcel chuckled and said, "Klaus has this annoying habit of throwing a tantrum when things don't go according to his way."

"So he has anger management issues?"

"Exactly."

No wonder why her dad called him irritating.

"Is Niklaus your boss or something?" She asked. Marcel seemed close to him, she would have assumed they were friends. But she wasn't sure if Niklaus had any friends whatsoever. 

"He's my mentor. I look up to him." Marcel stated simply.

Aliza's eyes widened and she said, "You're kidding right?"

"Why?"

"He seems like a horrible role model."

Marcel threw his head back and laughed loudly, Aliza huffed and smiled. 

Marcel seemed like a nice guy, she'd give him that.  
There was something easy about him that she found admirable. She noticed that it was easy to make him laugh. It reminded her of her dad.

"There's that. But I owe him my life." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh." That was the only thing she could say. She didn't want to be insensitive so she refrained herself from pushing that topic further.

"How old are you by the way?" She asked, a silly attempt to change the topic.

"818."

Aliza's mouth hung open and she raised her eyebrows, "Shut up. You're serious?"

Marcel shot her a cheeky grin and said, "I am."

"Jesus take the wheel."

That caused him to laugh again. Marcel was enjoying Aliza's reaction. Everything about her was so normal and real.

How long it had been for him to come across someone like her.

"Do you want to go see the Quarter?" He asked.

An excited smile perked on her lips and she said, "Really?"

"If you want to."

Vincent and Freya entered the room, they had tried to warn the rest of the others on how they should act around Aliza.

Kol was the hardest to convince.

Freya had to stop Vincent from turning him into a mouse.

Aliza climbed to her feet and strode towards Vincent, "Marcel said he'll take me to see the Quarter. Can we go? Please, please, please."

She pulled at Vincent's shirt and tapped her feet in enthusiasm.

Vincent gave a small laugh and shot Marcel a look, silently thanking him who was smiling at him in disbelief. He pressed his lip together and glanced at Freya who seemed to be as taken aback by Aliza's sudden change as Marcel.

"Let me get my jacket."

_________

"No."

Aliza gasped dramatically and said, "Oh come on!"

Vincent just shook his and said, "Iced tea. That's it."

Freya scrunched her face, "Seriously Vin, it's just one strawberry milkshake."

"Yeah right."

Marcel glanced at Vincent from the driver's seat, giving him an unimpressed look, "Really man? She's a kid."

Vincent scoffed at him. They were on team Aliza.

"Keep whining and I'll change it to water."

"That's it. I'm saving your name as Uncle Buzz Kill in my contacts." Aliza pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Freya poked Vincent from behind causing him to chuckle.

Marcel parked the car in front of a rusty looking building. The tutor that Aliza was yet to meet worked as a waitress in one of the local bars. And she happened to be a long time friend of Vincent, so they decided to stop by.

The interior of the bar was old. It was spacious with many wooden tables all over the place. There was a long counter where all the drinks and glasses were kept. There were only a few handfuls of people sitting at different tables. So were in a pair, engaged in deep conversations, some were sitting alone.

There was a faint smell of wood mixed with alcohol that was lingering in the air. A blond woman walked towards them with a huge smile. She was really pretty, Aliza thought.

“Hey, Camille.” Vincent stepped forward to hug the woman. Aliza raised her eyebrows.

Uncle Vincent does have friends.

They broke apart and Camille rubbed his shoulders, smiling at him. Marcel stepped forward and she hugged him too. Freya stood beside Aliza, she gave her a polite nod which Camille returned.

Finally, Camille’s eyes rested on Aliza and she asked, “Is this her?’’ 

She had no idea how everyone knew about her and she didn’t have the slightest bit idea of what was going on. Aliza waved and said,” Hello.”

She stumbled when Camille hugged her. She wasn’t expecting that. She couldn’t help but think how different this interaction was compared to the one she had with Freya’s family.  
She figured a slight invasion of her private space seemed like a better option than getting bit by an ancient bloodsucking asshole.

Camille pulled away and said, “I've heard so much about you.”

Aliza let out a nervous laugh and said,” I wish I could say the same.”

She let out a chuckle and said, “You guys go find yourself a seat, I’ll be back.”

Camille came back after fifteen minutes and they had a nice long chat. She was sweet and smart. Aliza liked her in an instant. She was intrigued by her. When Marcel informed her about what happened that afternoon, Camille had said that Klaus, as she referred to him, was a little overprotective when it came to his family. Aliza somehow got the feeling that they were close. But it was confusing because Marcel’s hand that was over Camille’s shoulder said otherwise.

And someone as sweet as Camille, a Mikaelson’s friend?

No chance.

Like Aliza would ever believe that.

They spent the entire evening roaming around the neighbourhood. It was a whole different experience for Aliza. Vincent seemed to know the area very well, Aliza noticed as if he had spent a great deal of time living there. But she remembered him telling her that he had only been to New Orleans once for work.

She refrained from asking him how exactly did he know the place like the back of his hand. They all were having a great time together and she didn’t wish to ruin it. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, she was waiting in the car with Freya while Marcel and Vincent were talking to Camille back at the bar.  
Aliza smiled when she saw the caller ID.

She excused herself and got out of the car.

“Hello?” She said.

“Oh thank god you’re not dead.”

Aliza scoffed, “Ma you need to work on your sense of humour.”

“Shut up, I'm hilarious. Did you find out what you are?”

“Lion warrior. That’s what the witch told.”

She heard her mother gasp.

Aliza frowned, “What is it?”

“Are you sure?”

Aliza told her everything that happened that afternoon except the part where Niklaus yelled at her. She knew her mother pretty well and was sure that she would call Vincent. Aliza didn’t wish to make a fuss out of this.

“So yeah. I guess that’s what I am.”

“Yeah well, it makes sense now,” Mithila said.

“What makes sense now?”

“You were in my womb for eighteen months, Ali.”

Aliza was speechless.

“Wha-what?”

Her mother hummed in response.

“Geez.” She mumbled.

Eighteen months? Now that came under the category of bizarre rather than mystical. 

It was almost evening. The sky was orange with a hint of pink. Aliza shivered, the weather was colder than it was in the morning. She told her mother about the Quarter, Camille and all the other things they did. 

Mithila was pleased to hear that Aliza was having a good time even though she was scared. She knew Klaus raised his voice on Aliza but she didn't say anything. She knew her daughter wouldn't want to make a fuss about it. 

"Listen I gotta go. I'll call you back later. Okay, ma? Love you."

"Love you too."

Aliza hung up and shoved her phone in the pocket of her jeans. Talking to her mother made her feel happy.

She was about to turn around to get in the car when something caught her attention.

Or someone.

Just across the street, a man stood there staring at her. He looked a little like Kol she thought. He was just standing there looking straight at her. The people that were passing by didn’t seem bothered by the man.

Aliza frowned and turned around to see if anybody else noticed him. No one did.  
She looked back at the man who, much to her surprise, was smiling.

Okay, now that was creepy.

“Aliza?”

She jumped when she heard Vincent call her name. She shifted her attention to him.  
Vincent was beside her, she didn’t even realize.

“What is it?” He asked.

Aliza looked back across the street only to find that man gone. She gazed around but there was no sign of him. 

“Nothing.”

_____________


	7. Chapter 7

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"

Aliza yelled in her phone as she paced around the luxurious room. 

It was a lot bigger than her room back in India. The wooden furniture looked overly expensive. The walls were coloured in a stunning combination of pastel blue and royal blue. The king-sized bed was situated in the middle of the room, against the wall. A picturesque view of the forest could be seen from the huge window that was located just beside the bed.

The bathroom was parallel to the window and beside the bathroom was a huge wardrobe.

When Aliza saw the bathroom, her eyes were hurting from the way she was staring at the marble paradise. 

The counter of the sink was covered in toiletries of high-quality brands.

It seemed like Freya had been the one to pick everything in the room specifically according to Aliza's taste.

Because the products were all designed for sensitive skin and were fragrance-free.

From facewash to cremes to lotions.

But her concerns weren't the ones that included enjoying a nice long bath and taking a nap.

The moment Freya left, Aliza texted Vincent asking him if they could hear anything that she would say. Much to her relief, Vincent said that the rooms were soundproof and nothing could be heard from the outside.

Then she called her dad, not giving a damn about the difference in time zones.

"Monkey, no one is dying. Calm down." Rome said.

She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand against her chest, she said, "Calm down? Calm down?! Did you see the way Kol Mikaelson was looking at me?! He wants to kill me!!! Do you understand? Kill. Me!"

Rome sighed through the phone while pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course, Kol had to go out of his way to scare her. Of course, Niklaus had to snap his neck in front of her. Clearly, those two had zero sense when it came to a child. Even though she was their niece.

Bloody Mikaelsons.

"Can you sit down?" He asked.

"My life is in danger and you want me to sit down?!"

He spoke in a tired voice, "Just do it, monkey and I'll explain everything to you."

"Explain what?"

"First sit down."

She huffed and plopped on the bed, "Done."

He continued, "Now listen. I and your mother had performed a spell on you the night before your flight. The vampires won't be able to smell your blood or hear your heartbeat."

She frowned and said, "Yeah but what if he bites me?!"

"He won't. I promise. See you have Vincent and Freya with you. And even Elijah will protect you."

"I just met him. Why on earth would he want to protect me?"

Rome sighed again, "Just trust me, okay? You know that we will never let you get hurt."

"Yeah, that I know." She mumbled.

"So how was the flight?"

Aliza's mood changed in an instant. A huge grin formed its way on her lips. She said, "Oh my gosh. Dad, they sent a private jet. And it was so cool. They even had a bed and the air hostess was so nice. And my god the dessert was heavenly. I watched the entire series of Fast and Furious in one go."

Rome smiled and shook his head on the other side of the phone. Aliza's excitement was contagious even though she was halfway across the world. 

"And the room?"

"Oh, you should definitely see it. They even have a bathtub! I'll show you through a video call."

He laughed and said, "Maybe later. But now I have sleep because I've got work. And I have sent Vincent your food chart so don't think that you can eat whatever you want while you're there."

Aliza pouted and whined, "Must I really need to follow it. Come on!"

"You don't have much of a choice, monkey. Now go rest."

She sighed, "K, good night or whatever. Love you."

"Love you too."

She tossed her phone on the bed and laid back, staring at the ceiling she pondered over the whole madhouse introduction that she had with the Mikaelsons.

She carefully thought about each of them. Freya was overall a delight. Even though she made Aliza feel slightly uncomfortable with those longing glances that she shot in her direction, she still was the only person who made Aliza feel welcomed. But one thing was still unclear, now that she thought about it. Freya had been living with the rest of her siblings for two years but what about the time before?

She had asked about this to Vincent and replied by saying that Freya lived somewhere else to work on her magic.

The way Vincent had said that she immediately knew he was lying.

Then there was Elijah. She didn't know much about him but the look in his eyes gave a lot. The way he was looking at her, she was expecting an apology. Because God knows what that remorseful look meant. His presence was calming if not welcoming. It seemed like he was having a hard time keeping his composure. There was trembling in his eyes, heavy guilt that he was carrying. But she didn't know what it was.

She apologized when she realised that she had crumpled his suit by clutching it so tightly. Much to her surprise he wasn't the least bit offended by her sudden invasion of his personal space.

Blame that arsehat Kol.

Then there was Niklaus, the moment he gave her that fake welcoming smile, she knew not to trust that man. The way he was looking at her with such curiosity. That intense look in his blue eyes was really giving her chills.

That sudden change in his experience only added fuel to her raging curiosity. This man knew how to hide his emotions really well. Her mind drifted to the way he was holding the glass. The grip of his fingers was tight, but the casualness in his way was something similar to that of an artist.

Aliza didn't consider herself an artist if sketching buildings counted as one. But she knew an artist's grip on a pencil was similar to his way of holding other things in his hands.

But the million-dollar question was his hybrid capabilities.

It seemed strange that he wasn't a complete vampire and Freya was a witch.

Shouldn't they all be vampires?

And how on earth did Niklaus get his half-werewolf genes?

She had asked this question to her mother but she dismissed the question saying that some things were never meant to be asked.

Then there was Rebekah, the ice queen. Her eyes were sharp but there was something so lost about them. Her 'I don't care' attitude felt anything but a defence mechanism.

Then there was the arsehat Kol. So far that jump scare she got from him only portrayed Kol as an idiotic imbecile. But Aliza knew well enough not to judge the younger Mikaelsons so soon.

There were so many unknown facts that were kept hidden from her. Something huge was missing and as much as she was dying to solve this mystery, she was hoping to stay away from it.

___________

Aliza tried not to cringe when the woman in front of her took a gulp of the weird colour liquid that had a few drops of her blood dissolved in it.

She hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep. She was scared, terrified even to know about what being she actually was.

A part of her was wishing that she would be human and that she would go back to India to get back to her normal life.

The other part of her was curious to know about what powers she possessed and the possibilities excited her somehow.

Different scenarios plagued her mind causing her to toss and turn every now and then. She had given up hope on getting any sleep, instead, she took a nice long bath to relax.

And then sketched a little bit.

The morning came and she watched the sunrise not sure about how she truly felt. The view from her window was seemingly breathtaking, the fading rays of the sun falling on the trees giving her a dream-like feeling. 

She closed her eyes as the rays fell on her face, her eyes were hurting from the lack of sleep but we're used to it by now. She even prayed that morning to help her get through the rest of the day.

Aliza never really believed in prayers, she had always believed that God's blessings came in an exchange for good deeds, not baseless words and promises.

She thought about her life back in India. It was steady, and she didn't completely hate the place. But sometimes she just felt tired. It was the weird looks she got from the locals and the way her classmates treated her. 

Being half Spanish and half Indian came with its disadvantages. Most people weren't open-minded regarding her ethnicity. 

It didn't matter if she looked like one of them or she spoke in the same manner.

She had spent countless nights watching movies to improve her accent of all the four languages she knew.

The moment people near her got to know that she wasn't completely Indian, that's when the stupid questions came in.

But she still loves her life there and she wouldn't give it up for the world so in the end she was filled with dread.

The thought of giving up her life for something she didn't even want to be a part of making her feel remorseful. She had no interest in getting involved with the supernatural world.

All she wanted was to become an architect.

Then there was a particular fear that made her feel like throwing up.

What if she was a monster?

The thought of hurting someone, killing someone, drawing blood almost made her cry.

She called her parents, telling them everything that she felt was wrong. Aliza missed their presence the most at that particular moment. She could really use a group hug.

She remembered her mother's words before hanging up.

You are who you choose to be.

Aliza watched as the woman, Abby, chant something in Latin. Her heart was pounding, there was a heaviness lingering in the room that made it hard for her to properly breathe.

She was sitting on the couch in between Freya and Vincent, both holding each of her hands. Elijah stood behind her, gently patting her shoulders. She was thankful for his assurance, he made her feel safe. 

Marcel was standing next to Niklaus who was standing next to Abby. While Niklaus was staring intently at Abby, Marcel was giving Aliza a warm smile that meant that everything will be fine.

Rebekah was sitting on a stool next to the bar, drinking her way through boredom. Kol was watching everything with amusement from his place on the stairs.

Moments passed and Abby spoke with her eyes closed.

She said, "I see light, warmth, strength and intelligence. There is justice and compassion and love."

Abby opened her eyes, looking directly at Aliza. A look of glee visible in the witch's eyes. 

She said, "She's born out of the strength of purity and true love."

Marcel frowned, he was losing patients. He said, "What the hell does that mean?"

A slow smile spread of Abby's lips as she said, "The Lion Warrior has returned."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The grand reveal finally...
> 
> So what do you guys think of Aliza?


	8. Chapter 8

Aliza couldn't sleep again. But this time it wasn't because of the awkward dinner or those weird looks Niklaus shot at her direction when he thought she wasn't noticing.

She couldn't get that man's face out of her mind. The way he was staring at her made her feel weird. That man had a look of recognition on his face. He recognized her. But it wasn't an emotional melodramatic look that Freya gave her when they first met nor it was the unspoken grief that Elijah gave her nor was it the mischievous smile that Kol gave her.

It was something different.

It was something serene.

1 am and she gave up on the hopes of falling asleep. She contemplated the emergency sleeping pills her mother gave for times when her mind would go in overdrive.

She decided otherwise and grabbed her sketchbook along with other necessary stationary, heading downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee.

When Aliza reached the drawing-room, it was empty. She remembered Vincent telling her that vampires do sleep and can eat human food.

Surprise, surprise.

Damn you, Edward Cullen.

Dumping her things on the huge marble counter, Aliza connected her wireless earphones and put her James Bay playlist on shuffle.

She walked further in the kitchen, inspecting the cabinets. She inspected the high brand coffee powder and frowned when she checked the price. 

Pouring the steaming hot liquid into the mug, Aliza sat down on one of the stools. Reaching out for her pencil, she flipped opened her sketchbook.

Another remedy for her overthinking habits.

It was when she was pouring her fourth cup that Aliza looked up to see Elijah arriving in the kitchen.

"Do you always wear a suit?" She finally asked as she put her playlist on pause.

Elijah chuckled and said, "Well I suppose looking presentable isn't a crime, is it?"

"I don't even know how to answer that." 

He smiled and walked towards the counter. He took a seat on the opposite side.

"I must say you are very talented." He inspected the sketch that Aliza was working on. It was the bar that Camille worked in.

She gave him a little bow and said, "Thank you very much."

Elijah’s lips twitched, his eyes trailed over the pages of the sketchbook. He thought about his brother Klaus. He wished his brother would let go of the grudge he held against Finn because Aliza was just an innocent child. She didn’t do anything wrong.

His mind drifted to what happened this afternoon. He glanced back at Aliza and said, “My apologies on behalf of my brother. It was rather indecent of him to raise his voice on you like that.”

Aliza snorted, “Well if his actions were so wrong, shouldn’t he be the one apologizing to me?”

Elijah opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

“Look dude, I get it. I mean if someone in your family gets hurt it’s natural to be worried about them. And besides, I’m over it.”

Elijah smiled and gave her an approving nod. She was practical, he realized. It was strange how different yet similar she was to his family. She was unpredictable which was something he enjoyed rather than finding it annoying. Somehow she reminded him of Henrik.

Centuries had passed, Elijah still missed his youngest brother, and being around Aliza made him feel a certain type of joy he wasn’t aware he was capable of feeling.

“So are you ready to learn how to fight?” He asked.

Aliza looked up, “Wait you’re serious?”

“Yes. Indeed I am.”

“Oh come on! I thought the whole point of ‘not being human’ is having some sort of superpower,” She hit the counter in frustration.

Elijah chuckled and said, “Well we do need to learn to protect ourselves and sword fighting is an interesting art.”

She frowned and took a sip of her coffee. Now, this whole thing was starting to get under her skin. As if living with a bunch of deadly vampires was not enough.

Guess she had no choice.

And besides, how hard would it be to wield a sword?

\--------------------------------------------------

“This is so hard!”

Aliza huffed and sat on the ground with her legs stretched out. 

Marcel and Elijah shared a look and laughed.

She woke up early that morning and was looking forward to learning something new. Elijah told her a bit about his family history. Who they were.

Norwegian Vikings from the 10th century were not something she expected.

She noticed the visible discomfort on Elijah’s face when he talked about his father teaching them how to wield a sword. How his voice lowered when he said the word ‘father’, how he refused to make eye contact when he told her how strict his father was.

Aliza had such a hard time in picking the sword that Marcel suggested she should first focus on building her arms strength. Which to her horror meant doing push-ups and lifting weights.

And of course, Aliza who didn’t have a single athletic bone in her body was tired in just fifteen minutes.

“You’ll get there.” Marcel offered a bottle of water. She snatched it from his hands taking a sip. Like hell she was. Her shoulders were killing her.

Aliza usually preferred long walks and sometimes jogging rather than anything rigorous. She knew she was going to get cramps after this.

She sighed, “I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.”

“I thought you were from India?” Marcel asked.

Aliza scrunched her eyebrows and tilted her head, “I am...I just quoted Captain America?”

“What’s Captain America?” Elijah asked.

Aliza’s mouth hung open, “Captain America? Steve Rogers? Chris Evans?  
Ring a bell?”

“No.” They said simultaneously.

“What about Iron Man? Everyone knows Iron Man.”

Much to her dismay, both of them just shook their heads.

“You uncultured people. What, like, you were living under a rock or something? You know what? Don’t answer that. We’re going to have a Marvel movies marathon. And we will start with Captain America.”

Elijah and Marcel were least to say speechless. Elijah wasn’t interested in movies, he’d rather enjoy books. He was always fond of them. Marcel on the other hand was more into experiencing things himself. So when Aliza was looking at them in utter disappointment because they hadn’t watched a movie, it was strange but a little wholesome.

“Sure we will but first let’s get back to your training,” Marcel said. He offered Aliza a hand.

“Can’t we do something else?”

“Aliza…”

“Geez fine! You sound like Uncle Vin.” She grabbed his hand and he pulled her onto her feet. 

Elijah had a little feeling of sadness knowing that Aliza wasn’t aware, she was his niece. A part of him wished to hear her address him as her uncle the same way she did for Vincent. But he had to have patience because rushing things would only make a mess. 

Kol watched everything with a blank expression from the floor above. Though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, there was a feeling of longing he had when he watched his brother and Marcel laugh with Aliza.

He hated Finn, that was more of a fact so why was it that a small part of him wished to be included? He knew who Captain America and Iron Man were. He was a fan and oftentimes would want to discuss this with someone but of course, no one ever considered to take him seriously.

But he wasn’t going to go out of his way to talk to Aliza. She had a purpose to serve and that’s all. There was no way he was going to allow himself to get close to her.

She meant nothing to him.  
\---------------------

Aliza sighed and closed the book, pushing it away. She flipped the pages of the notebook she had been using to write anything that was of importance. Freya had given her a few books, each filled with information about witches, vampires, and some other things.

She thought it would be a good idea to know more about them. Vampires were pretty much zombies with functioning brains. That’s how Aliza would like to put it. Though the liquor collection of the Mikaelson family made her think that their brains were rotten, considering just how many times she had seen them with a glass in their hand.

She read about the Lion Warrior. A particular thing that caught her attention was the sword of the warrior.

It was hidden somewhere deep in the woods and was only to be found by the warrior. That made her understand why sword fighting was important for her because without the sword her powers were incomplete. 

Vincent had informed her that the reason she was in her mother’s womb for eighteen months was that she was incredibly strong and they had to perform magic to slow her down. She was told, as the time would pass the magic would wear off and she would be able to attain the many wonders of who she is.

Aliza shivered, the sound of faint footsteps made her frown. It was almost 2 in the morning. Maybe it was Elijah, he did have a weird habit of walking around in the middle of the night wearing his expensive suits. 

She decided to check it out.

The door creaked as she opened it slowly stepping out of the room. The sound of footsteps seemed to be coming from down the hallway. She made her way there, following the echo. The house was old but well maintained, even though the wooden furniture were centuries-old they still looked new. She would get odd vibes from the house. Her home was, well, home. But this place wasn’t homely in the slightest. She wasn’t overly fond of how she felt in that place. Like she didn’t belong there.

The sound of the footsteps grew louder.

Aliza was fairly certain it was Elijah. She rarely saw Rebekah and Niklaus. Sometimes she would bump into Kol but he would just mock her and walk away. She was beginning to lose her patience because no amount of her politeness was making any difference. He still hated her. The nickname ‘little devil’ was very stupid.  
It was the look in his eyes that made her feel uneasy. She was a little irritated given that they had only met a few days ago and despite that Kol acted like she was the worst person he’d ever come across.

As if she ate the last piece of his favourite cake left in the entire galaxy.

“Aliza…”

She flinched when she heard her name, almost a faint whisper. She turned around. Her stomach dropped, her heart was drumming by what she saw.

The man who she saw across the street the other day stood in front of her with that same look of recognition and that same smile.

“Finally we meet.”


End file.
